Seto Macchindranath’s chariot processing begins in Nepal

Apr 10, 2022

Kathmandu (Nepal), Apr 10, 2022, (ANI): One of the biggest chariot festivals known as Seto Macchindranath Jatra is being celebrated inside Kathmandu valley after settling of the third wave of COVID-19 infection. The 3-day long chariot procession festival honors rain also known as Jana BahaDyahJatra, a skyscraping chariot of Seto Machindranath is pulled from place to place during these three days. Each day when the chariot reaches its terminus, a group of soldiers fires their rifles into the air. Devout pulled the chariot through various locations of the city. The main road crossing was filled with revelers as all the restrictions availing to COVID-19 have been lifted by the local authorities. According to myth, during the regime of YakshyaMalla, King of Kantipur, people used to bathe in a holy river and visit Swayambhunath which was believed to possess the power of sending people to heaven after death. Once Yamraj (God of Death) came to know the power of Swayambhunath and visited the holy temple. At the time of his return from the temple, Yama was captured by King YakshyaMalla and his Guru who possessed powers and demanded immortality. As the King and his Guru didn’t let Yama escape, he prayed to Arya Awalokiteshwor (SetoMachhindranath) to free him. God heard his prayers and immediately appeared from the water. The god was white in color with his eyes half-closed. He told the king to build a temple where Kalmati and Bagmati met and to organize a chariot procession so that God could visit the people and bless them with contentment and long life. Since then, people started to celebrate this 3 days long procession to honor the god.